Screen control



July 18, 1939. s. APPEL 2,166,745

SCREEN CONTROL 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1938 WITNESSES INVENTOR S /dng flppel 6%M ATTORSM Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED STATES SCREEN CONTROL SydneyAppel, Newark, N. J., assignor of onethird to William J. Foster, LittleFerry, N. J., and one-third to Samuel Appel, Newark, N. J.

Application August 25, 1938, Serial No. 226,757

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved screen control and has for anobject to provide a construction wherein pull cables are provided forpositively raising and positively lowering a screen.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control for a curtain,screen, or the like wherein the same may be moved upwardly anddownwardly readily and held in any desired adjusted position by merelyreleasing the actuating means.

A further object, more specifically, is to provide in a screen control apawl-and-ratchet structure associated with braking means, the partsbeing so arranged that the ratchet structure will 5 rotate with thescreen roller when the screen is being elevated but will remainstationary when the screen is being lowered.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View througha curtain and certain associated parts including a control embodying theinvention, certain parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through Fig. 1approximately on the line Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showinga modified construction;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a further modifiedconstruction.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, I indicates a screenor curtain of any desired kind which is secured at one end to a pole orroller 2, which pole or roller is rotatably supported in brackets 3 and4. In theatres and elsewhere it is desired to raise and lower the screenfrom time to time and to hold the screen in any desired adjustedposition.

As indicated in Fig. 1, there are provided pulleys 5 and 6 which arepinned or otherwise rigidly secured to the pole 2 so as always to rotatetherewith. Cables I and 8 are arranged to be wound on these pulleys,said cables being wound in opposite directions on the respective pulleysso that when one cable is pulled the pulleys will rotate in onedirection and when the other cable is pulled the pulleys will rotate inthe opposite direction. It will be noted that auxiliary pulleys 9 and I0guide the cable 8, while auxiliary pulleys H and I2 guide the cable 1.If desired, these cables may be connected together, as illustrated atthe left in Fig. 1, though this is not essential. When the cable I ispulled the curtain l is rolled and cable 8 is wound on pulley 6. Whencable 8 is pulled the reverse action will take place, namely, thepulleys and roller 2 will rotate in the reverse direction and allow thecurtain l to move downwardly.

As shown particularly in Fig. 1, pulley 5 is provided with a hub I3formed integral therewith and on this hub is arranged a ratchet wheel l45 held against rotation in one direction by a pawl l5 secured to a wallor other suitable support. The ratchet Wheel [4 is formed of two parts,namely, part l8 and part 11, said parts being hingedly connectedtogether at l8. A tension 10 screw l9 connects the parts together at apoint opposite the hinge l8. A suitable spring 20 provides for acushioning action in respect to the clamping action of the screw l9.Brake band sections or shoes 2| and 22 are secured respec- 15 tively tothe parts I '6 and I! by suitable screws or other means 23. This brakeband structure is adapted to press tightly against the sleeve or hub l3of pulley 5 which is rigidly secured to roller 2 so that when pulley 5is rotated in one 20 direction power will be transmitted to the roller 2so that the roller and also the ratchet wheel will be rotated. However,when the cable 8 is actuated for lowering the curtain I the roller 2will slip in the brake shoe structure formed by 2 members 21 and 22 andassociated parts. There is enough friction, however, to stop and holdthe curtain at any point. It will be seen, therefore, that when thecurtain is raised roller 2 and associated parts freely rotate but whenthe curtain 30 is lowered roller 2 is rotated against the action of thefriction of the brake bands 2| and 22. In the course of time if theparts should become somewhat loose a desired tension may be secured byadjusting the screw I9. 35

In Fig. 3 a structure is shown wherein ratchet wheel M is used butinstead of having the brake shoes 2i and 22 engaging the hub l3 theparts are so arranged that these brake shoes will engage directly theroller 2. In Fig. 4 the same structure 40 as shown in Fig. 3 ispresented except that the ratchet wheel M is provided with a flexiblesection l4" instead of a hinge l8 as shown in Fig. 2. This form of theinvention could be arranged as shown in Fig. l, namely, with the brakeshoes 2| and 22 engaging the roller 2, or the brake shoes could bearranged on the hub I3.

I claim:

1. In a screen control, a pulley provided with a hub, a ratchet wheelmounted on said hub, said 50 ratchet Wheel being divided at one point,means for moving said ratchet wheel to close said point of division, apawl for preventing said ratchet wheel from rotating in one directionand a friction shoe structure connected to said ratchet 55 wheel andengaging said hub whereby said pulley will rotate freely in onedirection and in the other direction will rotate against the action ofthe friction produced by said friction shoe structure.

2. In a screen control device, a ratchet wheel divided into two parts,means hingedly connecting said parts together at one point, a brake shoecarried by each of said parts interiorly thereof, and a tension screwarranged diametrically opposite said hinged structure for causing saidbrake shoe to function when the device is in use.

3. A screen control including a ratchet wheel divided at one point andconnected at a point diametrically opposite, a screw for drawingtogether said divided point to reduce the diameter connected to saidratchet wheel interiorly thereof 10 and positioned to engage said rollerwhereby said pole will be rotated freely in one direction with theratchet wheel and in the other direction will rotate against the actionof the friction produced by said friction shoe.

SYDNEY APPEL.

